MU study predicts reduction in crashes with new technology

A recent University of Missouri study predicted a reduction in crashes with the introduction of collision avoidance technology.

In a special report last week, ABC 17 News looked into what government officials are doing to reduce deadly crashes in Missouri. Now, ABC 17 News is digging into what is being done in the private sector.

Researches in the MU Industrial Manufacturing Systems Engineering college studied the driving behavior of 20 students with different types of warning systems as well as a group of drivers that work for a transportation service.

The findings released in November showed three out of four people studied showed improved driving behavior during the study.

Dr. Jung Kim in the IMSE department led the study at MU.

“I strongly believe that that is the way that we can reduce the accident rate, especially on the highway,” Kim said.

Researchers studied student drivers using four different types of crash avoidance systems that can be installed into vehicles without the new technology.

The systems track things like lane departure and warned drivers when getting to close to other vehicles.

The researchers compared how driving behavior improved with each system and how much effort it required.

Drivers trusted the cheaper systems less as they put out more false warnings.

“If the driver is consistently exposed to that kind of the false warning, then they lose the trust about that sensor and then they do not follow the-they do not pay attention at all to that warning,” Kim said.

The more costly systems in the $1,400 to $1,900 range provided drivers with a visual display along with a warning signal.

But systems than ran in the $300 to $500 range came without a visual display and left drivers guessing what they did wrong, increasing their stress levels.

“Having to spend that extra time remembering which noise is for which signal takes that extra time,” assistant researcher Jackson Smith said.

“In a driving situation, on a highway 80 miles per hour, one single second can decide critical death or minor damage,” Kim said.

When studying the professional drivers, researchers found driving behaviors improved dramatically once they knew the systems were on.

In the special report, ABC 17 News reported distracted driving is the number one cause of deadly crashes in Missouri.

The MU study concluded these systems should be designed to avoid any visual distractions and minimize false alarms.

You can view a full summary of the study here.